Cronin, James
80 - Private James Cronin - 44th Battalion & 3rd Machine Gun Battalion
James Cronin was born in Fremantle WA in 1882 to James and Annie Cronin. He was educated in Fremantle and after leaving school took up work as labourer in the Fremantle district.
In 1904 James married Sarah Law in Fremantle and they would go on to have seven children. Sadly their first two children died shortly after birth and, Cecil was born in 1906 but died after three months, Felicia was then born in 1908, followed by Hazel 1910, John 1913 and Gwen 1922.
In 1912 the family lived at 113 George Street East Fremantle while in 1914 he was at 22 Nairn Street Fremantle.
Pre the Great War the family lived on the corner of Silas and George Street East Fremantle.
On the 4th January 1916 James enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for service, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 8 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 150lbs;
Chest Measurement - 37-39 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Dark.
After his successful enlistment James was sent to Claremont Camp where he was initially assigned to No.42 Training Depot. He had a few weeks being taken through the basics of infantry work and on the 1st February 1916 was transferred to the 44th Battalion AIF.
He trained with this group in WA through February, March, April and May 1916 and in early June their embarkation orders arrived.
On the 6th June 1916 the 44th Battalion boarded the HMAT Suevic in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for England, reaching Plymouth on the 21st July 1916. After being disembarked the men were sent to the 3rd Division Training ground at Salisbury Plains.
On the 25th August 1916 James was admitted to Fargo Military Hospital but soon returned to his unit and training. On the 16th October 1916 James went absent without leave for two days and when he returned on the 18th October hew as fined two days pay and was given two days of Field Punishment No.2.
On the 25th November 1916 the 44th Battalion left England and proceeded across to France where they took up their first position on the Western Front in the Armentieres sector.
James had a few months here with the 44th Battalion as they became accustomed to life on the Western Front.
On the 11th December 1916 James was hospitalised with mumps at the 7th General Hospital at St Omer but returned to his unit at Armentieres on the 2nd January 1917.
In late March 1917 the 44th Battalion, as part of the 3rd Division, were transferred north to Belgium where they took up positions in the Ploegsteert sector. James was evacuated ill on the 25th March 1917 and was sent to the 3rd Canadian General Hospital at Boulogne. On the 28th April he was transferred to the 7th Convalescent Camp, eventually returning to the 44th Battalion on the 14th May 1917.
James then served through the Battle of Messines with the 44th Battalion. He survived the main action from June 7th to 10th, and then remained with his unit in this sector through to August 1917.
In September 1917 the 44th Battalion were transferred to Ypres where James took part in the actions at Broodseinde Ridge, Zonnebeke and Passchendaele through October and November 1917. He again came through unscathed.
From December 1917 to March 1918 the 44th Battalion held the front line south east of Ypres near Hollebeke.
As a result of the German offensive on March 21st 1918 which broke through the British front line further south, the Australian Divisions were sent to the Somme to help stop the German advance. The 44th Battalion were sent to an area near the Somme River at Sailly-le-Sec and Sailly Laurette. The 44th Battalion advanced till they met the Germans in the field near Sailly Laurette and though the German fire stopped the 44th from advancing, the Germans were also stopped.
James and the 44th Battalion were in this sector for the next few months.
The 44th Battalion were near Villers-Bretonneux when on the 27th May 1918 James was near a German gas shell that exploded and while he was not wounded by shrapnel he was severely affected by the mustard gas and was then evacuated. He was sent to the 6th General Hospital at Rouen and remained there till the 6th June 1918 when he was evacuated to England.
James was then admitted to Horton Hospital in Epsom in Surrey. He remained there till the 1st July 1918 when he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford. He spent another week here and was then transferred to No.3 Command Depot Camp at Hurdcott.
On the 12th August 1918, James reported ill and was diagnosed with venereal disease. He was then sent to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford. He was not there long and returned to camp on the 17th August.
On the 3rd September 1918 James was sent to the Overseas Training Brigade Camp at Longbridge Deverell. He spent a few weeks here and was then transferred to the Machine Gun Details Camp at Parkhouse. He was still here when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918.
Despite the Armistice being announced, James was sent back to France on the 28th November 1918 and was assigned to the 3rd Machine Gun Battalion.
The Australian units at this time had been sent to the areas of Belgium and France that had been occupied by the Germans. James remained in France till April 1919. On the 8th April 1919 he arrived back in England and was sent to Codford Camp.
He was now waiting to be assigned a berth on a transport ship home. On the 1st June 1919 James boarded the transport ship Somali and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 8th July 1919.
James was discharged from the AIF on the 23rd August 1919.
After the war the family moved to (56) Oakover Street East Fremantle and James was working locally as a Lumper at Fremantle wharf.
In 1925 they moved to Carrington Street Palmyra. They were here for over ten years but then moved to 78 Hampton road in the mid 1930's.
In 1943 the family moved to 23 Gold St South Fremantle.
James Died on the 18th November 1945 aged 64. He is buried in Fremantle Cemetery plot Roman Catholic Mon C3 0611.